Dianna Gwilliams

Gwilliams was born on 26 May 1957 in Colorado, United States.{{cite web |title=Gwilliams, Very Rev. Dianna Lynn, (born 1957), DL; Dean of Guildford, since 2013 |url=http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U258739 |website=Who's Who 2022 |publisher=Oxford University Press |access-date=23 June 2023 |language=en |date=1 December 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.christiantoday.com/article/dianna-gwilliams-to-be-new-dean-of-guildford-cathedral/32278.htm|title=Dianna Gwilliams to be new Dean of Guildford Cathedral |author=Quentin Vacheron Wed 1 May 2013 3:46 BST|website=www.christiantoday.com|date=May 2013 |language=en|access-date=2019-06-02}}[http://www.surreylife.co.uk/people/guildford_cathedral_s_dianna_gwilliams_one_of_britain_s_only_female_deans_1_3341271 Surrey Life] She grew up in California,{{Cite web|url=https://www.inclusive-church.org/dianna-gwilliams-chair|title=Dianna Gwilliams – Chair|last=Administrator|date=2016-04-20|website=Inclusive Church|language=en|access-date=2019-06-02}} and was educated at Villa Park High School in Villa Park, California.{{cite web |title=The Very Revd Dianna Lynn GWILLIAMS |url=https://www.crockford.org.uk/people/w13986/The_Very_Revd_Dianna_Lynn_GWILLIAMS |website=The Church of England Year Book |publisher=Church House Publishing |access-date=23 June 2023}} She studied at the University of California, majoring in physics and chemistry, and graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1978.{{Cite web|url=https://womenandthechurch.org/news/dianna-gwilliams-to-be-new-dean-of-guildford/|title=Dianna Gwilliams to be new Dean of Guildford – Women and the Church|website=womenandthechurch.org|access-date=2019-06-02}}

In 1978, she travelled to the United Kingdom while she was on tour (as a sound engineer) for a musical called The Witness.{{Cite web|url=https://www.surreylife.co.uk/people/guildford-cathedral-s-dianna-gwilliams-one-of-britain-s-only-female-deans-1-3341271|title=Guildford Cathedral's Dianna Gwilliams, one of Britain's only female deans|last=Newbold|first=Words Victoria Lazarevic {{!}} Photos Andy|website=Surrey|date=19 February 2014 |language=en|access-date=2019-06-02}} She was a sound engineer for 12 years.

From 1989 to 1992, she trained for ordained ministry on the Southwark Ordination Course, a part-time theological training course.{{Crockford| surname = Gwilliams | forenames = Dianna Lynn | id = 897 | accessed = 23 June 2023}} She later studied youth ministry and theological education at King's College London, graduating with a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 2001.

Gwilliams was ordained in the Church of England as a deacon in 1992 and as a priest in 1994.{{Crockford | surname = Gwilliams | forenames = Dianna Lynn | id = 897 | accessed = 30 November 2015}} From 1992 to 1997, she was a non-stipendiary minister and assistant curate at St Saviour's Church, Peckham, known locally as the Copleston Church, in the Diocese of Southwark.{{cite web |title=Copleston Church (St Saviour Peckham) |url=https://www.achurchnearyou.com/church/585/ |website=A Church Near You |publisher=The Archbishops’ Council |access-date=23 June 2023 |language=en}} She then moved into full-time ministry and became an assistant curate at St Barnabas' Church, Dulwich. In 1999, she was appointed vicar of St Barnabas' Church and chaplain of Christ's Chapel of God's Gift. She was additionally area dean of Dulwich from 2005 to 2012 and dean of women's ministry for the Diocese of Southwark from 2009 to 2012. In 2006, she was made an honorary canon of Southwark Cathedral. From 2007 to 2011, she was also priest-in-charge of Copleston Church, where she had started her ministry.

In April 2013, it was announced that Gwilliams had been appointed the next Dean of Guildford.{{Cite web|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/appointment-dean-of-guildford|title=Appointment: Dean of Guildford|website=GOV.UK|language=en|access-date=2019-06-02}} She was installed as dean at Guildford Cathedral on 15 September 2013.{{cite web |title=New Dean of Guildford announced |url=https://www.cofeguildford.org.uk/news/story/821/ |website=Diocese of Guildford |access-date=23 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130814102748/http://www.cofeguildford.org.uk/news/story/821/ |archive-date=14 August 2013 |date=30 April 2013}} She was the first female Dean of Guildford and, in 2013, was one of the most senior female priests in the Church of England, alongside five other female deans. She retired as dean in September 2023, after ten years in the role; her final service was evensong on 17 September.{{cite web |title=Dean Dianna to retire |url=https://www.guildford-cathedral.org/news/2023/dean-dianna-to-retire |website=Guildford Cathedral |access-date=23 June 2023 |date=19 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624200823/https://www.guildford-cathedral.org/news/2023/dean-dianna-to-retire |archive-date=24 June 2023 }}

She was chair of Inclusive Church{{cite web |title=Dianna Gwilliams (chair) |url=https://www.inclusive-church.org/dianna-gwilliams-chair/ |website=Inclusive Church |access-date=23 June 2023}} from 2012{{cite web |website=Progressive Christianity Network Britain |title= For the attention of the House of Bishops |date= 6 December 2012 |url=https://www.pcnbritain.org.uk/assets/uploads/news/joint-letter-to-the-house-of-bishops-women-bishops/Letter_to_the_House_of_Bishops_6.12.12.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210924063315/https://www.pcnbritain.org.uk/assets/uploads/news/joint-letter-to-the-house-of-bishops-women-bishops/Letter_to_the_House_of_Bishops_6.12.12.pdf |archive-date=24 September 2021 |access-date=24 June 2023 }} until 2022;{{cite web |website=Inclusive Church |title=Annual Report & Financial Statements, 2022 |url=https://www.inclusive-church.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IC-Annual-Report-for-2022-final-signed.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230624194222/https://www.inclusive-church.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/IC-Annual-Report-for-2022-final-signed.pdf |archive-date=24 June 2023 |access-date=24 June 2023 }} an organisation that educates on full inclusion of every person in the church regardless of "disability, economic power, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, learning disability, mental health, neurodiversity, or sexuality".{{cite web |title=The IC Statement |url=https://www.inclusive-church.org/the-ic-statement/ |website=Inclusive Church |access-date=23 June 2023}}

She has three children (including a daughter who died in infancy), five grandchildren and her husband is a stonemason. She is a Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey.[https://www.surreylieutenancy.org/deputy-lieutenants/ Deputy Lieutenants]

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Category:Living people

Category:1957 births

Category:People from Colorado

Category:University of California alumni

Category:American audio engineers

Category:Alumni of King's College London

Category:Deans of Guildford

Category:Deputy lieutenants of Surrey

Category:Women audio engineers

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